Committees (UTRGV School of Medicine)

Standing Committees

Committees in the UTRGV School of Medicine inform education, research, governance, administration and other key activities within the medical school. Below is the list of all official committees within the UTRGV School of Medicine.

The Accreditation Review and Continuous Quality Improvement Committee (ARCQIC) is responsible for regularly monitoring the accreditation standards of the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) during the interval between accreditation visits for the purpose of continuous quality improvement of its medical education program. ARCQIC shall assure that benchmarks and measurements selected for monitoring are appropriate and measurable and provide monitoring and oversight of any action plans.

In addition, the ARCQIC committee shall address the following:

  • Any existing or new elements where LCME expectations have evolved;
  • Elements that include policies that must be congruent with current operations;
  • Elements that directly or indirectly affect the core operations of the school; and
  • Standards/elements that were cited in the SOM's previous LCME survey.

Standing Members

Term Expires 2026

Term Expires 2025

Term Expires 2024

  • Andrea Argenal (MS1)
  • James Fahey
  • Ryan Bialaszewski (MS3)
  • Zayd Ayas (MS2)

Contact Information

Dr. Stanley Fisch (Chair)
Email: Stanley.Fisch@utrgv.edu

Lupita Chavez (Admin Support)
Email: Lupita.Chavez@utrgv.edu

The Ad Hoc Committee on Policies is responsible for creating a clear, coordinated, and well-communicated process for developing new policies and reviewing and amending existing policies for the school’s medical education program in a timely manner.

In addition, the Ad Hoc Committee on Policies shall address the following: 

  • Oversee and coordinate a process through which policies are developed, approved, reviewed and maintained, communicated, implemented and enforced
  • In coordination with appropriate SOM committees, review and provide input on all new and existing policies
  • Assess existing policies for consistency or conflict with other school policies or bylaws, LCME requirements, and University and UT Systems rules and regulations
  • Provide guidance, upon request, regarding procedures concerning internal departmental, school, or functional-unit operations or as may be necessary to implement a policy
  • Monitor depository that serves as an authoritative source for policies, including website page
  • Assist in communicating policies to SOM community and facilitate implementation and compliance

Standing Members 

  • Stanley Fisch, Chair
  • Johnathan Weisfeld-Hinojosa, Legal (Ex Officio, non-voting)
  • Kelsey Baker or designee, Central Curriculum Authority Committee
  • Joanne Curran or designee, Medical Student Evaluation & Performance Committee
  • Cristel Escalona or designee, Admissions Committee
  • Angela Cook, research representative
  • Marlon Monayao, MS2
  • Elizabeth Althaus, MS3
  • Victoria Cuello, MS4

The Admissions Committee shall evaluate individual applicants, decide on offering interviews, and to decide the final ranking for acceptance following the interviews. The committee will make admission decisions in accordance with the educational goals articulated in the SOM mission statement. The committee will maintain independence and make decisions without external influence. The final authority for admissions decisions is the Admissions Committee. Decisions by the Admissions Committee cannot be overruled or rejected. The admissions Committee is empowered to create additional subcommittee as needed.

Standing Members

  • Shawn Saladin

Term Expires 2026

Term Expires 2025

Term Expires 2024

Ex Officio Members

Contact Information

Dr. Cristel Escalona (Chair)
Email: Cristel.Escalona@utrgv.edu

Caleb Treviono (Admin Support)
Email: Caleb.Trevino01@utrgv.edu

The Central Curricular Authority Committee (CCAC) is the body that oversees the undergraduate medical education program. The CCAC provides central oversight and is responsible for the overall design, management, integration, evaluation and enhancement of a coherent and coordinated curriculum. Specifically, the CCAC shall:

  • Define objectives that guide curricular content and provide the basis for program evaluations of effectiveness;
  • Define types of patients, clinical conditions, levels of responsibility, and appropriate settings for student experiences;
  • Assure that the curriculum incorporates opportunities for active learning, independent study, development of critical thinking and problem-solving, demonstration of ethical behaviors, and practice of communication skills;
  • Assure assessment of student outcomes;
  • Ensure comparable educational experiences across sites within a discipline;
  • Ensure that student formative and summative assessments measure outcomes linked to defined curricular objectives and that students receive them in a timely manner;
  • Access expertise in curricular design, pedagogy, assessment and evaluation methods;
  • Utilize national norms of accomplishment as a frame of reference;
  • Monitor content and workload in each discipline and identify gaps and redundancies;
  • Evaluate both whole and component parts of the curriculum for achievement of medical education program objectives, revising curriculum continuously and with freedom from parochial, political or department pressures;
  • Ensure logical sequencing of the various segments of the curriculum;
  • Ensure content is coordinated and integrated within and across the academic periods of study (i.e., horizontal, and vertical integration); 
  • Establish graduation requirements for M.D. candidates;
  • Ensure compliance with the LCME requirement; and 
  • Considers and approves all curriculum related policies.

Subcommittees of the CCAC

Clerkship Curricular Subcommittee
Evaluation and Assessment Subcommittee
Interprofessional Education and Service-Learning Subcommittee
Preclerkship Curricular Subcommittee

Standing Members

Term Expires 2026

Term Expires 2025

Term Expires 2024

Contact Information

Dr. Kelsey Baker (Chair)
Email: Kelsey.Baker@utrgv.edu

Ana Cruz (Admin Support)
Email: ana.cruz01@utrgv.edu

Meeting Minutes

The Committee on Committees (COC) shall advise the Dean concerning the membership criteria, number of members, length of membership terms, and charges of the standing committees and shall make recommendations on the membership of those committees. The COC will identify qualified, interested members of the UTRGV SOM faculty, staff, and student/resident body to propose for membership on standing committees of the SOM. It may also be called upon to propose members for ad hoc committees, task forces, or other groups at the request of the Dean.  In addition, the COC is responsible for periodically reviewing existing committees so that appropriate recommendations can be made to the Dean regarding changes, additions, or deletions affecting the role, scope, and structure of those committees.

Term Expires 2026

Term Expires 2025

Term Expires 2024

Contact Information

Dr. Beatriz Tapia (Chair)
Email: Beatriz.Tapia@utrgv.edu

June Flores (Admin Support)
Email: June.Flores@utrgv.edu

The Graduate Medical Education Committee (GMEC), in collaboration with the Designated Institutional Official (DIO), is responsible for all ACGME-accredited programs of the SOM. The GMEC is responsible for establishing and implementing policies in accordance with the ACGME and the GMEC Policies and Procedures, monitoring and advising on all aspects of residency and fellowship education in sponsored GME programs, and adjudicating matters of deliberation. This responsibility includes ensuring the quality of education and the work and learning environments for all residents and fellows in all programs and ensuring compliance with ACGME policies. The GMEC shall oversee the performance of appropriate evaluations of each training program to assess compliance with both the institutional requirements and relevant program requirements of the ACGME. The GMEC shall serve as a forum for discussion of GME issues, to include not only clinical environments but also resident and fellow quality of life, recruitment, and outcomes.

Committee Roster AY 2023-2024

Contact Information

Dr. Chelsea Chang
Email: Chelsea.Chang@utrgv.edu

Teresa Villagomez (Admin Support)
Email: Teresa.Villagomez@utrgv.edu

The Medical Student Evaluation and Promotion Committee (MSEPC) is charged with the review of the academic progress and professional development of each student during all components of the four-year medical education program. The MSEPC has a primary responsibility for recommending for graduation only those candidates who have satisfactorily completed all graduation requirements and demonstrated the professional conduct appropriate for a physician. The Committee, acting under the authority delegated to it by the Dean of the SOM, shall be responsible for decisions on leaves of absence and/or curriculum deceleration, promotion or termination of students in the academic program, and/or remediation of medical students. Students may appeal any decisions set forth by the MSEPC to the SOM Dean whose decision is final. Module and clerkship directors are not eligible for memberships.

Term Expires 2025

Term Expires 2024

Contact Information

Dr. Joanne Curran (Chair)
Email: Joanne.Curran@utrgv.edu

The Optimal Learning Environment Committee (OLEC) will help to foster a positive and professional learning environment by sponsoring initiatives, outreach and educational programming aimed at enhancing communication and professionalism in all learning environments. The OLEC is charged with:

  • promoting a learning environment that best supports student and resident education;
  • raising awareness about what constitutes mistreatment and unprofessional behavior through working with appropriate offices to develop educational activities for medical students, residents, and faculty;
  • reviewing the results of student and resident evaluations of courses, clerkships, and rotations related to the learning environment;
  • reviewing surveys of students, residents, and other groups to ascertain further information regarding positive and negative influences in this arena;
  • monitoring influences (positive and negative) throughout the learning environment; and
  • formulating policies, creating action plans, and reviewing ongoing data on the learning environment.

Term Expires 2026

Term Expires 2025

Term Expires 2024

  • Aaron Silva (MS4)
  • Evan Perez (Chair)
  • Hunter Butler (MS1)
  • Irum Rahman (MS2)
  • Sheema Khan
  • Victoria Jacobsen (MS3)

Ex Officio Members

Contact Information

Dr. Evan Perez (Chair)
Email: Evan.D.Perez@utrgv.edu

Ms. Veronica De Hoyos (Admin Support)
Email: Veronica.Dehoyos@utrgv.edu

The Promotion Tenure and Appointment Committee (PTAC) is responsible for the oversight of all appointments of faculty members hired by the SOM; for establishing, maintaining, and implementing the criteria for promotion within the tracks and ranks of faculty; for recommending promotion and the conferral of tenure to deserving faculty members; and for post-tenure review of faculty. The committee will assess recommendations from the department chairs for appointments, promotions, and conferral of tenure. The PTAC Chair will forward all recommendations for Appointment, Promotion, and Tenure to the Dean of the SOM. Recommendations for policy changes related to Appointment, Promotions, and Tenure go to the Dean's Advisory Committee. Ex officio non-voting representatives to the PTAC include the Associate Dean Faculty Affairs and the Associate Dean for Diversity. The PTAC Chair may form subcommittees as needed to address post-tenure reviews; these subcommittees may include non-PTAC members to ensure appropriate departmental representation. 

Term Expires 2026

Term Expires 2025

Term Expires 2024

Ex Officio Members

Contact Information

Dr. Joanne Curran (Chair)
Email: Joanne.Curran@utrgv.edu

Dr. Eron Manusov (Vice Chair)
Email: Eron.Manusov@utrgv.edu

Elizabeth Reyes (Admin Support)
Email: Elizabeth.Reyes@utrgv.edu

Committees Interest Form

Please consider taking a moment to sign up to participate in the UTRGV School of Medicine’s standing committees. These committees allow our faculty and students to participate in carrying out the vision and priorities of our school. Thank you!

Submit Form Here

Frequently Asked Questions

Calls for committee membership are made annually or as needed. Interested faculty, staff, students and residents should complete the interest survey form. The information will be compiled, and the pool of potential members will be forwarded to the chair of the Committee on Committees (CoC).

Some members of committees are elected by the Faulty Assembly in accordance with the bylaws. For appointed members, below is the timeline and process for nomination and selection:

Committee timeline and process
Time Process
April 1: CoC sends out call for nominations to serve on SOM Standing Committees
April 2-30: Faculty and others submit nominations (self/peer) and CoC confirms candidacy and willingness to serve
May 31: CoC reviews nominations and sends a list to SOM dean with recommendations for committee membership, criteria, number of members, length of membership terms.
June 30: SOM dean appoints members to SOM Standing Committees for new terms starting September 1st.

The responsibilities of each committee are outlined in the bylaws.  Generally, committees are required to meet and submit progress reports at least quarterly.  Members are required to attend meetings otherwise the chair may terminate the appointment of any member at the end of the academic year if they do not attend meetings and/or vote at least 50% of the time.

Serving on a committee strengthens you and strengthens UTRGV SOM.

Faculty participation in committees is an excellent way of engaging in the governance of our UTRGV School of Medicine. Service on committees offers the best type of contribution in carrying out the priorities of the school while also meeting the requirements for promotion and tenure. Just as important, working together with peers to inform and steer key school issues, develop policies, and help guide administrative decisions provides the best type of professional growth. Committee service provides faculty full immersion resulting in a strong understanding of the policies and procedures of the school and its many moving parts. Together, the many moving parts form the integrity of a strong medical education for our students and community.

About Us

Helpful Links